Lipid nanoparticles · Founded 2025

An existing drug, re-engineered to target lung cancer cells.

PimoTarget loads the repurposed drug pimozide into lipid nanoparticles and spray dries them into a powder. It aims at non-small cell lung cancer, where better drug targeting is needed.

See the solutionView the results
~96%encapsulation efficiency of NLC formulations
3lipid nanoparticle types compared
A549lung cancer cell line tested
Carrier comparison At a glance
Nanostructured lipid carriersContain oleic acid
~96% EE
Solid lipid nanoparticlesLower drug loading
~70% EE
Liquid lipid carriersLLC 5 among the leads
Lead
Why it matters: Three selected formulations showed lower IC50 values than free pimozide against lung cancer cells.
The problem

Lung cancer needs better-targeted drugs

Non-small cell lung cancer remains hard to treat with drugs that reach the tumour well.

Limited targeting

Many drugs do not concentrate where they are needed in the lung.

Free drug falls short

Pimozide on its own was less potent against A549 cells than the lead nanoparticle formulations.

Loading is uneven

Not all lipid carriers hold the drug equally well: solid lipid nanoparticles barely exceeded 70% encapsulation.

Our solution

Lipid nanoparticles, dried into a powder

PimoTarget combines a high-loading lipid carrier with spray drying to give a powder form of pimozide.

Carrier

Nanostructured lipid carriers

~96%encapsulation efficiency
  • Highest loading of the three types
  • Attributed to oleic acid
  • NLC 4 and NLC 5 among the leads
Process

Spray dried powder

Nano to microparticle size shift after drying
  • Made by a microemulsion technique
  • Converted to powder by spray drying
  • Moisture sorption and morphology assessed
Activity

Stronger than free drug

3lead formulations with lower IC50 than free pimozide
  • Tested on A549 lung cancer cells
  • NLC 4, NLC 5 and LLC 5
  • Biphasic drug release pattern
How it works

How PimoTarget is made

A four-stage laboratory process.

  1. 1

    Formulate

    Pimozide is loaded into solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers and liquid lipid carriers.

    SLNNLCLLC
  2. 2

    Microemulsify

    The nanoparticles are formed by a microemulsion technique.

    Microemulsion
  3. 3

    Spray dry

    The dispersions are spray dried into powders, shifting particle size from nano to micro scale.

    Spray dryingPowder
  4. 4

    Test on cancer cells

    Encapsulation, release and anti-proliferative activity against A549 cells are measured.

    A549IC50
Results

What the laboratory study showed

In vitro characterisation and cell-based testing on A549 non-small cell lung cancer cells.

~96%NLC encapsulation efficiency
~70%SLN encapsulation efficiency
3formulations beat free pimozide on IC50
Biphasicdrug release pattern
Reported findings by carrier type
CarrierReported finding
Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC)Highest encapsulation, approximately 96% ± 2.1%
Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN)Encapsulation barely exceeding 70% ± 2.5%
NLC 4, NLC 5, LLC 5Lower IC50 than free pimozide on A549 cells

Source: Al Khatib et al., Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 106969 (2025). doi:10.1016/j.jddst.2025.106969

Who it's for

Who PimoTarget is for

A repurposing platform with several possible partners.

Oncology researchers

  • Repurposed drug with a new carrier
  • Comparison of three lipid systems
  • Cell data to build on

Drug development partners

  • Spray dried powder format
  • High-loading NLC carrier
  • Known drug, new use

Future patients

  • Aimed at non-small cell lung cancer
  • Goal of better drug targeting
  • Long path to clinical use
Where we are

Where the evidence stands

PimoTarget is at the earliest research stage.

Cell studies only

Activity was measured in A549 cells in the laboratory, not in animals or people.

Targeting still to prove

Delivery to lung tumours in a living body has not yet been shown.

Safety unknown

Safety of this formulation for cancer treatment has not been studied.

The team

The team

Founded in 2025 by the research team behind the pimozide spray dried lipid nanoparticle study.

AK

Arwa Omar Al Khatib

Co-author of the PimoTarget research.

AY

Amal Yousfan

Co-author of the PimoTarget research.

AA

Anas Abed

Co-author of the PimoTarget research.

ME

Mohammad K.K. El-Tanani

Co-author of the PimoTarget research.

HA

Hisham Al-Obaidi

Co-author of the PimoTarget research.

Frequently asked questions

What is pimozide?

It is an existing drug that PimoTarget repurposes and tests against non-small cell lung cancer cells.

Why lipid nanoparticles?

They can carry the drug efficiently. Nanostructured lipid carriers held about 96% of the drug.

Why spray dry them?

Spray drying turns the nanoparticle dispersion into a powder. Particle size shifted from nano to micro scale in the process.

Did it work better than the plain drug?

In cell tests, three lead formulations showed lower IC50 values than free pimozide against A549 cells.

Is this a cancer treatment today?

No. It is an in vitro research stage project with no animal or human data yet.

The research

Peer-reviewed science behind PimoTarget.

Read the full study behind the product.

Read the paper

Al Khatib, A. O., Yousfan, A., Abed, A., El-Tanani, M., & Al-Obaidi, H. (2025). Development of pimozide spray dried lipid nanoparticles with enhanced targeting of non-small cell lung cancer. Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, Article 106969.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jddst.2025.106969